#Diavel

Ducati announced a brand new Diavel V4, replacing the previous 1,262cc V-Twin model with one powered by its 1,158cc V4 Granturismo engine.

Last week, Ducati announced it would once again present its new product announcements in a series of online presentations. Just like in 2020 and 2021, the Ducati World Première 2023 series will take place over multiple episodes, with each part featuring a different product line.

In a cross-branding exercise with its Emilia-Romagna neighbor (and technically, it’s parent company), Ducati revealed a new Lamborghini edition version of the Diavel 1260. The limited edition Ducati Diavel 1260 Lamborghini is styled after the automaker’s Siàn FKP 37 supercar, sporting the same Gea Green and Electrum Gold color scheme, similar-looking wheels and lightweight carbon fiber elements.

The Ducati World Premiere held in Italy’s motor valley brought with it the unveiling of a couple of new e-bikes, a new Panigale V2, slightly tweaked Panigale V4s, and the highly anticipated Ducati Streetfighter V4/S. Other models such as the Diavel and Scrambler received additional color options while the Multistrada 1260 family received a new lux trim package aptly named the Grand Tour. Let’s take a closer look at what Ducati calls “new versions” of these existing models. 

Jet lag is the price I pay for some good parts of life, like flying to Spain’s Costa del Sol to ride Ducati’s pretty-much-all-new Diavel 1260S. And it was a very good part, because Spain has very good roads, and the Diavel 1260S is a very good motorcycle.

The Ducati Diavel receives its first major update, receiving the same Testastretta DVT 1262cc engine as the XDiavel among other changes.

From these photos that were slipped under the MO office door, Ducati appears to be bringing the 2019 Diavel more in line with the XDiavel. It’s been some time since the standard Diavel received any attention from Ducati, so the timing of the 2019 revamp makes sense.

Ducati and fashion brand Diesel are collaborating once again, this time with a limited edition Diavel model. Ducati will produce only 666 units featuring a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic look jointly created by Diesel Creative Director Andrea Rosso and the Ducati Design Center.

The spinning steel drum does not lie: Ducati claims 156 horsepower at 9500 rpm for the XDiavel’s new 1262cc DVT (Desmo Variable Timing) L-Twin, and the MotoGP Werks Dynojet bears that out. The old rule of thumb is that rear-wheel hp (what the dyno measures) is generally about 10% less than crankshaft hp (what the manufacturers claim) on a chain-driven bike, and if that still applies then the Ducati is actually a few horses ahead of the game. Compared to the old Diavel, which never felt anything like slow, you’re looking at 10% more horsepower and 9% more torque.

Each year around this time the MO staff gathers to contemplate the new breed of tasty two-wheelers coming our way. This is also when each editor begins positioning himself for a particular press launch. Last year, Preemptive Editor, Troy Siahaan made it abundantly clear that only an act of God would keep him from the R1 launch. This year he’s communicated the same thing about the new Suzuki SV650, a bike that, democratically, didn’t even make this list (Ouch. -TS).

Struggling to figure out how to make inroads into the U.S. cruiser market, with the new XDiavel, Ducati has finally decided that if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That’s not entirely true of course, because the new XDiavel retains plenty of performance. But it’s also the first Ducati ever with belt final drive, and the first ever where any Ducati official (Domenicali) has made a big deal of embracing the appeal of Low Speed Riding.

Neither the mouse nor the boy was the least bit surprised that each could understand the other. Two creatures who shared a love for motorcycles naturally spoke the same language.

The idea of Ducati creating a cruiser-style motorcycle seems odd, but the Diavel, introduced in 2011, was an attempt to expand the appeal of the Italian brand to riders who value style and low seat heights over ultimate sporting potential. Diavel sales were initially decent but seem to have tailed off in recent years.

In his First Impression and First Ride reviews of the MV Agusta Brutale 800 Dragster RR, our European Correspondent, Tor Sagen, lays out the nuts and bolts of the Dragster RR. Similar to the Brutale 800 RR I rode as part of MV Agusta USA’s recent media meet-n-greet, the Dragster benefits from the same engine mods (larger throttle bodies, revised airbox, dual injectors per cylinder, EFI tweaks, etc.) and electronic upgrades. This includes the MVICS 2.0 engine management system with modified traction-control settings and a quickshifter good for both up- and down-shifts.

Introduced at EICMA 2014, the Ducati Diavel range, which includes the standard Diavel and the Diavel Carbon, is bolstered by the limited-edition Diavel Titanium. As the name suggests, the Diavel Titanium takes advantage of the lightweight and sturdy metal, and combines it with strategic doses of carbon fiber to create an elegant yet sinister looking new member of the Diavel family, of which only 500 will be made.